ACCOMAC -- Staff at Accomack County Public Schools is achieving big savings with energy-efficient behavior -- and now those good habits are earning national recognition. Accomack County Public Schools has achieved a 29 percent cost savings totaling $1,227,560 in 34 months since forming a strategic alliance with Energy Education Inc., a national energy conservation company, which presented the district with its Environmental Excellence Award.
"Reaching this level of savings at this stage of the program is a significant achievement. Accomack County Public Schools has done an excellent job of implementing Energy Education's people-oriented approach to energy conservation and maintaining productive efforts at all levels of the organization. The administration and all staff members are to be commended for clearly fulfilling their commitment to being good stewards of the organization's energy dollars and the environment," said Dr. William S. Spears, CEO and founder of Energy Education Inc.
"Strong support from everyone involved in the organization has created an atmosphere of cooperation that should continue to grow and ensure even greater success well into the future," Spears said. "I am extremely pleased to present Accomack County Public Schools with our Environmental Excellence Award." A primary benefit of the Energy Education program is that all costs come out of the existing utility budget, with savings projected to more than pay for the program, as they have done for Accomack County Public Schools. Additional savings can be redirected to other parts of the budget.
The conservation program examines all areas of energy use throughout Accomack County Public Schools. Energy Education's conservation experts work closely with the school system's energy education specialist, Ernie Rush. They train him to analyze all energy use throughout the district's systems, and to ensure that energy is used as efficiently as possible. The program delivers an environmental benefit from reduced carbon footprint. According to EPA/EGrid figures, in the first 34 months of the program, Accomack public schools saved 39,954 MMBTU, the equivalent of 5,033 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions being prevented, 903 cars removed from the road, or 128,729 pine trees grown for 10 years.
Rush tracks energy consumption -- including electricity, water, sewer, and fuel oil -- using energy-accounting software. He compares current energy use to a baseline period and calculates the amount of energy that would have been used had conservation and management practices not been implemented. By tracking consumption and analyzing energy use, he can quickly identify and correct areas that need immediate attention. In 24 years, Energy Education Inc. has worked with more than 1,000 educational and ministry organizations, helping clients save over $2 billion in utility costs. Energy Education was named 2009 and 2010 Energy Star Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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